The Holy See Press Office announced that Benedict XVI has accepted the invitation presented recently by Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the UN, to visit the headquarters in New York City. "The Pope has accepted the invitation in general terms, and has expressed his willingness to visit the UN headquarters, although as yet there is no date or program for the trip."
In sorting through the flotsam and jetsam of Vatican acts, one has to pay careful attention for those moves which reflect the personal initiative of the pope, and therefore reveal something about his mind rather than just the institutional culture of the Holy See. At present, we have two intriguing examples of personal papal touches.
The Pope's plans to bring back the traditional Latin Mass have alarmed Christians and Jews concerned that they could damage relations between the faiths. The Pope is expected to issue a decree within weeks allowing the widespread use of the Tridentine Rite, which was virtually outlawed by the Vatican in the 1960s.
The text of the "Lineamenta" goes on to explain that the aim of the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly is "to help clarify the basic truths of Revelation as the Word of God, Divine Tradition, the Bible and the Magisterium, which prompt and guarantee an authentic and effective living of the faith.
An exclusive interview with a member of the Pontifical Theological Commission on the controversial topic of original sin, baptism, salvation, and the doctrine of limbo
A controversial three-day academic seminar discussing the legitimacy of denying the Holocaust has been strongly criticized by the Union of Italian Jewish Communities. Held on April 17-19 at the University of Teramo in central Italy, the event gathered historians, journalists, lawyers and writers to analyze Holocaust denial.
President Ahmadinejad expressed surprise over the EU's biased approach to the historical event of holocaust. "I just raised two questions on the issue. Does EU consider questions as a crime. Today, anywhere in the world, one can raise questions about God, prophets, existence and any other issue. Why historical events should not be clarified?"
An overstretched Washington is expressing its hunger for a strong and unified Europe that it can work with, many leading public figures in the US say. But there is a hitch. At the very moment of Washington's recognition, "Europe is not ready to step up to the plate. There's really no one there to provide the vision and the leadership that's necessary."
German press on...
President Putin is turning up the rhetoric when it comes to US plans to build a missile defense shield. But why? German commentators on Friday think they know.
Yeh, yeh, yeh ... whatever...
US forces on Friday detained 4 members of a gang suspected of smuggling armour-piercing bombs from Iran to Iraq and sending back militants for "terrorist training", the military said.
Dick Cheney and what is left of his dwindling gang of "neocons" want to attack Iran, in a last gasp of recklessness and myopia. Bush Jr. is on board, as before, for reasons which remain unclear and unimportant. The White House has ordered the US fleet to attack Iran in the event Iran takes action against any country in the region. An instant war trigger. No need for Congress to act. The only reason Iran would target anybody would be in the event Iran had been targeted first, and Iran was attempting to launch a counter-attack, in other words, defending itself.
Pakistan President Musharraf said a possible US attack on Iran would be a "terrible mistake." "I'm concerned about the possibility that a US attack on Iran (would cause) turbulence in the region," he said, warning it would spark "radicalism".
The US may have no military equals, but the challenges to its financial power have become impossible to ignore. The strength of the dollar is more than just a matter of bragging rights. Experts say the consequences of its long-term decline could have deep significance - for average Americans and for the country's position as an unrivaled global power. Over time, the forces behind its decline could further marginalize the US on the world stage, lower its standard of living and tie its hands in responding to crucial security issues or financial crises.
While euphoria sweeps stock markets here and worldwide, there are at least a few voices of dissent. One, unsurprisingly, is legendary value investor Jeremy Grantham - the man Dick Cheney, plus a lot of other rich people, trusts with his money. Grantham has been a voice of caution for years. But he has upped his concerns in his latest letter to shareholders. Grantham says we are now seeing the first worldwide bubble in history covering all asset classes. Everything is in bubble territory, he says. Everything.
Parts of the 1,600-year-old Codex Sinaiticus - which includes the world's earliest complete New Testament - are scattered between Leipzig, London and St. Petersburg. Now researchers want to digitize the fragments and publish the whole volume on the Internet. But controversy still rages over the proper ownership of the relic.
Today in Scripture
* "Tell the whole community of Israel that on the 10th day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household." (Exodus 12:3)
* "On the 10th day of the 1st month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho." (Joshua 4:19)
* "The next day (5 days before the Passover / 10th day of the 1st month / the Sabbath) . . . as he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent 2 of his disciples, saying to them: 'Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.' . . . (and) the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Yahshua was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, 'Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of Yahweh! Blessed is the King of Israel!'..." (John 12:12-50 / Luke 19:29-46 / Matthew 21:1-17 / Mark 11:1-11)
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